Searching for something new to bring to your next family potluck? Don’t reinvent the wheel — just put a twist on an old favorite.
Popularly served as hors d’oeuvres during Easter feasts, deviled eggs are worshipped for their ease of making. But that doesn’t mean they have to be basic. Armed with an array of colorful veggies and tangy seasonings, guests can indulge their sweet and savory sides, one bite at a time.
Donnie Mays knows to successfully jazz up deviled eggs, you need to mix flavors and textures in your toppings. The Evansville native has been working with food since the pandemic and recently published a new cookbook, called I’ll Bake You Happy. He shares his passion on TikTok, where’s he’s amassed more than 600,000 foodie followers.
“Macarons, that’s what started my journey,” he says. “Now, let me show you what to do, step by step.”
Embrace Color: Break out of deviled eggs’ ho-hum monochromatic tones with rosy cherry tomatoes, multi-colored sweet peppers, and even food coloring. Mays pickled some of the boiled eggs in beet juice overnight, giving them a rich magenta hue.
Strike a Pose: Make no mistake, these deviled eggs have Instagram appeal. Spiral a julienned carrot around a pillow of egg mousse or curl a strip or prosciutto atop a sprig of dill for a delicate, snap-worthy finish.
Be Bold: Most people use sweet relish,” Mays says. “I personally like dill pickle. It’s a more vinegary, tangy, kick you in the back of the throat thing.” Try an egg sprinkled with cayenne pepper and dotted with capers, or pair homemade sriracha caviar with sweet pickles.
Pro Tip: If your deviled egg filling is too thin, mix in a little instant mashed potatoes or mayonnaise. In fact, Mays often starts with a squirt of mayo and builds off that.
